Bomb dismantling apparatus



June 27, 1950 w, G, AXTELL ETAL 2,512,597

80MB DISMANTLING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 20, 1945 9" fyme. ma. j". (M

Arroz/Vey Patented June 27, 1950 BOMB DI'SMANTLING APPARATUS Wiuarao.Axtell, Los Angeles, Calif., and George H. Todd, Pine Bluff, Ark.

` Application November 2 0, 1945, Serial N0.v62`9,894

2 Claims.

(Granted under the'act of Marcha, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3700. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and usedby or for the Goverment for governmental purposes, without the paymentto 111s. of -any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to devices for handling bombs and particularly toan instrumentality for the disassembly of incendiary bombs.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a method and a devicewherein the handling of the bombs is eiected with minimum of hazard. Afurther object is to provide a device. for safe removalof the primer andfiring pin assemblies from incendiary bombs by non-mechanical means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for saferemoval of the primer and the ring pin assemblies from incendiary bombswherein the actual blow-out is effected by a column of air or inert gaswhich is actuated ahead of a column of high pressure water. air columnadded the expansive force needed to overcome the difliculty heretoforepresent in previous devices for performing similar operations.

More specifically the invention contemplates a compact instrumentalitycomprising a vise-like element, one side of which is itted with a conenozzle for supplying high-pressure for the actual blow-out operation.

This device is primarily designed to reclaim the sc-called rejectsduring the manufacture of the bomb as well as for final dismantling ofthe bomb stocks.

With these and other objects in View this invention consists in certaindetails of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, allas will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel featuresthereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims, considered inthe light of the accompanying drawing which forms a part thereof,wherein, the single figure is a schematic view partly in section of thepreferred embodiment of the device for disassembly of in cendiary bombs.

In the disassembly of incendiary bombs it is necessary to remove thefiring pin assembly and the primer assembly, which are cemented together into the bomb case. Any purely mechanical means for doing this isnecessarily hazardous to the operating personnel.

The device of this invention removes both assemblies quickly and with aminimum amount of hazard.

In actual use the incendiary bomb l0 is held fast in vise like elementsIl and I2 specifically This lll

shaped to accommodate the 'bomb-end containing the ringpin and theprimer assemblyin the upright position shown. The-element I2 isstationary while the element Il may be movable by either pneumatic orhydraulic means lI3' operable by a 4-Way valve I4, lwhich may admiteither compressed air or the liquid fromthe source -of supply 'indicatedby an arrow through the ,pipe l5 into the right or left ports of thehydraulic means I3. f

L, Thebomb IB is placed againstthe kcollar'ledge IE of the vise so as toalign the space having a vent hole I1 in the incendiary bomb with thenozzle Hl through which the air column entrapped in chamber 22 and thehigh pressure water through valve 20 can be admitted. A Tconnectionshown at i9 is provided at one end with a quick-opening release valve 20(normally closed) while the other end is tted with a quick opening valve2| (normally open).

It will be noted that the pipe 22 affords an air column of approximatelythree cubic inches to provide the expansive force to loosen and to blowout the firing pin and the primer assembly.

rihe three valves 20, 2| and |4- are arranged to operate together bymeans of a common lever arm 23 properly interconnected with each valveso that the valve i4 will open the vise when the high water pressurevalve 2i] is closed and the exhaust valve 2| is open.

After the bomb is placed against collar ledge I6 in the vise, thevalvesare moved so as to close the vise and admit high pressure water atthe bottom of the air-column in the pipe 22, thus forcing the air columnentrapped in chamber 22 through the nozzle I8 into the space between therst-fire mix 24 and the primer assembly 25.

As the assemblies (primer assembly 25 and firing pin 2S) are dislodgedby this high pressure, the expansive force of the air compressed abovethen blasts them out and the high pressure water immediately followingthe air column floods the rst-re mix 24 and washes out any loose powder.

The valves are now moved to off position and the device is ready torepeat the cycle.

The time required for a complete cycle is about ve seconds, the greateramount of this period being consumed in allowing the water to drain fromthe air column.

Since the bombs are provided with two or three vent holes, suitableplugs are placed in the vise sections Il and l2 away from the conenozzle I8.

Thus it is seen that a device is produced for the safe removal ofdangerous parts of incen-v diary bombs. Also the high pressure Watersoaks the highly inflammable lling thus making it reasonably safe in thedismantling operation of bombs.

We claim:Y v

1. Means for removing the lfiring pin and primer assemblies fromincendiary bombs of the type wherein the main incendiary charge isdisposed in one end of the bomb body, while the ring pin and primerassemblies are'cemented in the other end and separated. from-the in-vcendiary charge, and wherein there is at least one Vent hole in the bombbody intermediate the incendiary charge and-thefiring1 pin -andv'-primer assemblies, which comprises in combination, a nozzle, vice meanscarrying said nozzle and kdisposed in oneend'o'ff'the bomb body while'the iriiigA pin and primers arevce'mented inthe other end and separatedfrom the incendiary charge, andwhr'eimthre isatleast one vent' hole inizhebomb"bodyl Iin'terme'diate in they incendiary 4 charge and the ringpin and primary assemblies, said apparatus comprising in combination afirst Valve-operated gripping means for holding said projectile; meansproviding a chamber containing a column of air; nozzle means connectingsaid-columnfof air Withsaid aperture; a. second valve means operativelyconnectedfto said chamber and arranged to permit the entrance of aquantity of liquid under high pressure behind said air column suiiicientto compress saidl air column and force it through said nozzle and said.aperture ahead of said liquid; a third valve means `for subsequentlyexhausting said liquid from saidv chamber; means for the concurrentoperation Aof said' three valve means arranged so that kwhen said secondmeans is closed the other two will be opened and conversely when the"saidvsecond means is opened the other two will remain closed;

WILLARD G. AX'IEIL. GEORGE -fI-I. =,TODD..

REFERENCES 'CITEDf The followingreferenees 'are'of record inthe le `oflthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date' 1,492,924 Knight i Mayo; 19241,843,463 T'awresey Feb. 21932 2,007,975 Kennedy- July"v 16; 19352,348,293Y Hamer 1 May.l 9519.44

